A variety of golfing devices or toys related thereto can be found in a survey of the prior art. For example, such devices can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. U.S. Pat. No. 1,881,991 to Lawrence E. Yaggi; U.S. Pat. No. 1,922,735 to Charles H. Johnson; U.S. Pat. No. 1,999,513 to John K. Stafford; U.S. Pat. No. 2,039,633 to Luther I. Clark; U.S. Pat. No. 2,490,409 to Paul H. Brown; U.S. Pat. No. 2,656,720 to Frederick W. Sonnett; U.S. Pat. No. 2,888,266 to Arthur K. Melin; U.S. Pat. No. 3,292,436 to Robert G. Bahnsen; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,609,197 to George M. Vodin.
The Yaggi U.S. Pat. No. '991 discloses a golf practice device that includes a rectangular mat having a rectangular slot. A target made of a flexible rubber material having a head in the form of a golf ball is mounted on a neck and is supported in the slot. The neck is split into two halves by a slot, each half having a strip of tin or other material imbedded therein. The neck is inserted in the slot and the neck halves are bent in opposite directions so as to be received within slots disposed in the underside of the mat. Yaggi U.S. Pat. No. '991 alleges that this device possess enough resilience to be struck and then return to an upright position after being struck.
The Johnson U.S. Pat. No. '735 patent discloses a golf practice device in two embodiments. The first embodiment is simply a pair of circular sections connected by a strip that is stamped out of thin sheet metal or the like and which may be painted white or covered with fabric or similar material. The device is bent at fight angles so as to present an tipright target. The second embodiment comprises two circular discs. One disc has a pair of tabs that are received by a slot in the other disc and then bent in opposite directions. The discs may be placed at right angles to each other so as to form an upright target.
The Stafford U.S. Pat. No. '513 patent discloses a golf apparatus comprising a base having sloping side walls that form a channel that receives a tubing. The tubing is made of a flexible resilient material and is substantially as long as the channel formed by the side walls. A leather strip extends out of an end of the tube, an end of strip being fastened to a golf ball. The other end of tubing includes a directional arrow useful for indicating direction of travel of golf ball when struck. When the golf ball is struck the tubing is forced in the direction of travel of ball thus uncovering the distant indicators placed into the bottom of the channel formed by side walls. Since the apparatus is anchored by a stake, the apparatus will turn in the direction of travel of the golf ball thus giving an indication of the amount of hook or slice.
The Clark U.S. Pat. No. '633 patent discloses another golf practice device that includes a ball or target mounted on a base to a flexible stem. Striking the ball with a golf club results in the deformation and elongation of the stem and ball in the direction of flight. The patent further discloses apparatus claiming to provide indications of a slice or a hook shot as well as a distance.
The Brown U.S. Pat. No. '409 patent discloses a golf practice device comprising a target mounted to a base. The base may take a variety of forms and includes an anchor spike attached directly thereto.
The Sonnett U.S. Pat. No. '720 patent discloses a golf practice apparatus including a golf ball or target mounted to a coil spring secured to an arcuate shell that is attached to a base. A cable is attached to the ball and extends through the coil spring and around a small pulley disposed with the arcuate shell and then rearwardly around a small pulley, upwardly to a small pulley and forwardly from there to a distance indicator. Thus striking the ball results in the distance indicator being moved rearwardly to indicate approximate distance. To indicate whether a golfer has hit a hook or a slice a visual indicator is provided including a pair of lamps that are attached to a circuit. As the ball is struck it will be displaced forwardly and engage a switch lever thus causing a closed circuit on one side of the circuit and thereby indicating a hook or a slice. If the ball is hit on a true line neither side of the circuit will be closed thus resulting in no light being illuminated and an indication that the ball has been properly hit.
The Melin U.S. Pat. No. '266 patent discloses a golf practice device that includes a golf ball shaped target attached an arm that is engaged at its other end to a support, which includes a pair of spikes by which it may driven into the ground. The support includes a slot that receives a key portion of an arm. The arm is flexible such that it may be displaced when the target is struck.
The Bahnsen U.S. Pat. No. '436 patent teaches a frame supporting a golf ball target. The ball is connected through mechanical means to a revolution counter to provide an indication of distance.
The Vodin U.S. Pat. No. '197 patent discloses a golf practice device and includes a golf ball mounted to a shock cord that in turn is secured to a conical head of a stake. Also associated with the apparatus is a distance indicator that includes an indicator slide attached to a helical spring. A cord passes through the center of the spring and is attached to a shock cord such that when the ball is struck by a golf club, the cord will be pulled outwardly, thus moving the distance indicator slide against spring 6 to provide an indication of distance.
Each of the foregoing patents teach a mechanism for indicating either distance or direction of travel or both in some circumstances. The foregoing disclosed devices are deficient, however, in that they do not teach any auditory mechanism for indicating a properly hit golf ball. Furthermore, several of the devices are quite large and incapable of ready portability, a feature often desired by golfers who may play on many different courses and at many different practice facilities. Some of the devices provide for the target automatically returning to a hittable position after being struck by a golf club while others do not.
It would be desirable to have a readily portable golf skill development and practice aid that could withstand the rigors of being struck with the great force of a golf club repeatedly over the aid's lifetime. In addition, it would be desirable to have a golf aid that would indicate direction of travel, distance of travel, and provide an auditory indication of a well hit golf ball while maintaining its ready portability and life expectancy. It would also be desirable to have a golf aid of the foregoing types that incorporated shape retention materials to return the golf target to a hittable, upright position after being struck by a golf club.